FAA Investigates Near-Collision at LAX: Delta Plane and Gonzaga Basketball Team’s Jet in Harrowing Close Call
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) narrowly avoided a tragedy on Friday evening as a Delta Airlines passenger jet and a chartered plane carrying the Gonzaga University basketball team came alarmingly close to a collision during taxiing procedures.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now launched an investigation into a near-collision.
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Friday when the Gonzaga team’s Embraer E135 jet, operated by Key Lime Air, was instructed by air traffic controllers to hold short of a runway due to an approaching Delta Airbus A321 taking off for Atlanta.
As the chartered jet began to cross the hold bars, controllers urgently commanded the pilots to “Stop, stop, stop!”
The jet halted just before the runway edge line, narrowly avoiding a collision as the Delta flight accelerated down the runway and lifted off.
WATCH:
NEW: The FAA has launched an investigation after the men’s Gonzaga basketball team nearly got eliminated by a Delta plane taking off.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” the air traffic controller could be heard saying.
The chartered Embraer E135 jet, carrying the team, had just landed at… pic.twitter.com/6UAUOG5wiP
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 30, 2024
Fox News reported:
A plane spotter, Kevin Ray, also uploaded video on YouTube, and they could be heard saying, “Wow!” as it was that close to being a very serious situation.
Most commercial planes reach between 150 and 180 miles per hour before takeoff depending on the weight of the aircraft. So, the impact of the charter plane could have been lethal.
“In the years I’ve been doing this, I’ve never heard a ATC controller tell a plane to ‘Stop, stop, stop,’” the plane spotter was heard saying.
The No. 19 Gonzaga men’s basketball team had landed in Los Angeles from Spokane, Washington for their matchup on Saturday against No. 15 UCLA.
The Bruins defeated the Bulldogs, 65-62, with star guard Eric Dailey Jr. scoring 18 for UCLA. Gonzaga’s Graham Ike had 24 points with eight rebounds and two assists.
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